A beginning and an Ending
by Tifa Fair
Summary: This is a cross over story that I originally wrote for Tifa and Cloud but changed it when I fell in love with Zack.


A Beginning and an Ending

Winter Holidays were fast approaching for the students of Final Fantasy Academy, a boarding school for exceptionally talented school aged children. Tifa Lockhart and Rinoa Heartilly had been attending since the age of 11 and even from their first day they became best friends. And for these two, now juniors, girls the holidays couldn't come fast enough.

"Two weeks! Two whole weeks!" Tifa ranted at the time they had remaining for classes. Rinoa just smiled and let her roommate carry on, after 5 years she was quite accustomed to this behavior. "12 days, do you know exactly how long that is?" she asked more to herself than Rin, "288 hours! And in minutes, 17,280! And how much is devoted to our classes? 80 hours, which is 4,800 minutes!"

"You know for someone who hates math you sure love to use it!" Rinoa interjected.

Tifa gave her a look that said shut up, but kept her mouth shut and decided to finish her homework before Monday classes. She was halfway through with her History of Weapons essay on gun blades when Aerith came into the room.

"What's up fellow chicas?" Rikku shouted.

"Nothing much, how about you?" Rinoa laughed as Aerith made to stand on her head.

"Boredom and Exhaustion, what about you Tifa?"

"Homework, you know how Sunday's go."

"Yea, I remember grade 11, that's a lot of writing, what class are you doing?"

"History of Weapons, it's a 4 page essay on gun blades."

"Got any practical assignments today, cause I'm heading to the training grounds in a minute." Aerith said brightly enough for Rin to catch on to why she was going.

"Does a certain red haired boy by the name of Reno happen to be training today?" Rin asked.

Aerith grinned, "Yeah, he and Zack Fair are dueling down in the blade courts."

"Who's Zack Fair?" Tifa asked looking up from her essay.

"Some grade 11 guy who hangs with Reno, Cloud, Vincent, and some other guys in your grade." Aerith said uninterested.

"I've always wondered what you see in Reno, he's in our grade and you're a grade 12? I thought you only dated older men." Rinoa inquired.

Aerith went to answer when Tifa asked, "What does he look like?" She had been thinking hard about the name Zack, it seemed familiar.

"Who? Zack? He has black hair and usually spikes it, he's in at least one of your classes because it's the one you guys have with me, advanced martial arts. He usually works with Cloud and that Leonhart boy."

Rinoa thought a minute before saying, "Oh I know who you're talking about, not the Leonhart boy, but Zack!"

"You know him?" Tifa asked.

"Well no, but I know which one he is. We have about three classes with him. He's really cute."

"You can say that again," Aerith said, "much better than that Kadaj guy."

Immediately Aerith knew she had said the wrong thing. Tifa grew very quiet, her eyes fell to the floor, and her whole expression changed.

Kadaj had been Tifa's boyfriend before he had up and left school 6 months previous, he had not said where he was going or when he'd be back, just that he loved her and good-bye. Tifa had been very heart broken, but she was slowly getting over it.

The three girls sat in silence for a few minutes until Rinoa came to the conclusion, "You know Tifa, I think a duel is exactly what you need; let's go."

Tifa did not move from her desk but simply said, "I really need to finish…"

Rinoa cut her off, "No you don't! Rinoa said angrily, (she never gets angry), "You're just making excuses so you don't have to face the world. Well you know what I'm sick of it! I WANT MY BEST FRIEND back!"

The silence that followed was thick with Rinoa's anger and Tifa's anguish; Aerith didn't know what to do with herself and decided to remain silent.

"Is that really how you feel?" Tifa asked.

"Yes," Rinoa said calmly and sitting on Tifa's bed close to Tifa herself. "I know your hurt, but you just can't stop living every time someone mentions his name, just a few minutes ago you were concerned with the time left until winter holidays, you're my best friend so believe me when I say it's time to let him go."

Tifa thought about it, and slowly she began to smile, she closed her laptop stood up and said, "To the dueling courts!"

All three girls smiled brightly and began to run out of the room towards the training grounds. By the time they got there and found Reno, he and Zack were locked in battle and it looked as if Zack was winning. Reno's reflexes and response time began to slow while Zack didn't seem to show any signs of faltering. At first sight of Zack any girl would melt, but the look on Tifa's face was one of pure shock; her eyes widened, her mouth opened, and she couldn't quite catch her breath. When Aerith saw this expression she nudged Rinoa and discretely pointed at Tifa with a tilt of her head. Rinoa looked at Tifa and together Aerith and she grinned.

Soon the battle in the court ended with Reno throwing up his hand and calling a quits, he and Zack smiled at each other and began to walk out, at this Tifa collected herself into a suitable composure. Reno and Zack were coming out of the court when Reno had caught sight of the girls; he smiled and made his way towards them with Zack following absently behind him. As he knew Rinoa and Tifa for the past 3 years he greeted them with a hug each and a kiss on their cheeks, and to Aerith he gave her a warm hug but no kiss, (not known to him disappointed her). Zack finally caught up with Reno, but still wasn't aware of the girls due to the PSP he was playing; that is until,

"Hey girls, I don't know if you know or not but this is my good friend Zack Fair," Reno nudged the inattentive Zack into reality who finally looked up and noticed the girls, looking at each in turn his gaze came to rest and stay upon Tifa, who stared back gaining a ridiculous grin. Reno nudged him again and began to introduce him to the girls, "Cloud you already know Aerith, but this is Rinoa Heartilly and Tifa Lockhart."

He gestured to each girl and Zack shook each girls hand, holding on to Tifa's a little longer than Rinoa, and he continued to stare at Tifa causing her to grow even more nervous. Until Aerith finally said, "Um, Tifa didn't you say you needed to practice?"

"Huh? Oh yeah, but I need hand to hand training." Tifa said facing herself to look away from Zack.

"Cool, mind if we hang around? You know I love watching you fight." Reno asked.

"Sure." Tifa said uncertainly trying to decipher if he was hitting on her.

They all trooped over to the Hand-to-Hand combat building and settled around an empty training room, Tifa prepared herself as Aerith and Rinoa decided who was to fight Tifa first, and finally decided on Aerith as it was her idea to come in the first place.

Tifa pulled on her gloves, Aerith laced up her boots and they faced each other. Bowing in respect they began to fight.

"How's she been?" Reno asked Rinoa, not taking his eyes off of Tifa.

"Better." Rinoa replied watching her like Reno.

"That idiot better not show his face around here again; has he even contacted her since?"

"No, not a word nor an e-mail, you would think…"

"No I wouldn't, that no good cheating dumba…"

"I know! Don't you think I know?! He was never worth her time, but what could we do? She loved him."

"She doesn't deserve to be treated this way, and he never deserved her, she was too good for him…"

"I'm sorry but who are we talking about?" Zack, finally speaking, interrupted.

"That idiot Kadaj!" Reno said with malice.

A look of anger crossed Zack's face as he said, "Why? What's he got to do with anything?" for he knew Kadaj all to well.

"Believe it or not that pile of sh…" Reno was cut off by Rinoa elbowing him and he continued, "That scumbag used to date Tifa, and when he up and left she was all torn up. What we can't understand is why, Tifa is a smart independent girl who would never stand for a guy like Kadaj; he cheated, he lied, and she still loved him. She'd never hear an ill word against him, and as far as I know still won't." At this point he looked at Rinoa for conformation.

"She has recently come to grips with reality and has accepted him for what he is, but she still misses him." Rinoa replied, "All I can say in an attempt to explain is that she loved him." Rinoa then turned her attention back to the fight that was slowly drawing to a close.

"Ready to alternate?" She called to Aerith, who smiled and nodded gratefully. "Do you need a break Tifa?" Rinoa asked as she joined her on the field.

"No way, I'm ready for anything." Aerith had lost horribly to Tifa.

Just as it had been with Aerith each girl faced the other and bowed in respect, the duel began.

This time the three spectators sat in silence as the fight went on; only Aerith really watched it as the guys were fuming silently.

By the end Tifa was again triumphant; the girls grabbed towels and cleaned up while discussing each others strength and flaws. Aerith jumped down from the bleachers and joined the discussion leaving the guys to their own private conversation about what they'd do to that 'lying idiot', and only stopped when the girls approached them.

"So what'd you think?" Tifa asking more Reno than Zack, but it was Zack who responded.

"That was amazing; I'd hate to fight you." He smiled causing her to smile back. Over the course of the next few weeks they began to spend more and more time together, during class he'd join her and Rin during group activities and alternated partnerships with Rinoa to pair with Tifa. They'd study together. On weekends they'd either go out alone or with friends and both grew closer and happier, Kadaj soon became a distant memory of some other life.

One Saturday night as Tifa got ready for another night alone with Zack when Rinoa came into their room to check on her.

"Going out again I see." Rin smiled at Tifa in the mirror she was using.

"Yep." Tifa said in a dream like way.

"I don't think I've ever seen you so happy."

"I'm not sure if I've ever been so happy." Their smiles would not fade. Tifa finally turned toward Rin and asked, "Well, how do I look?"

"Amazing!" She replied and hugged her friend. "Have fun girl."

"C'ya chic." And Tifa left down the hall to join Zack. As they set off for the movies, unknown to them someone followed in the shadows.

The movie held their attention very well over the course of 2 hours; afterwards they took a walk through the campus gardens where they talked in comfort.

"What did you think?" Zack asked with a grin.

"I really liked it, it was comical yet serious; a profound balance of both." She replied smiling back at him.

They continued discussing the movie and re-enacting it for several minutes before coming to rest on a bench where they sat in silence still enjoying each others company. They sat closely enough together so that in one swift movement he brought his arm around her shoulders and pulled her right next to him, causing them to laugh in lazy amusement. They were silent until he said unexpectedly; "I've been thinking, we've spent quite a bit of time together these past few weeks and I have concluded that maybe it was time I asked you to be my girlfriend, but then I said to myself; 'No she'd never in her right mind want to be with me.'" He said all this in an amused way, laughing at his own sarcasm.

"You are absolutely right." Tifa grinning slyly and watched Zack's smile fall. "Never in my right mind would I be with you," she paused, "but seeing as my mind has never been right, I have to say I'd want nothing more than to be your girlfriend." They both smiled and laughed.

He looked down at her lost in her eyes and kissed her; she was surprised at first and then she fell into it. When they let go he was holding her in his arms and she had him in hers. They smile in spite of themselves and stood to leave. That was until they heard something behind them causing them to turn. A boy with shoulder length silver hair was running towards them with a sword at his side and a look of contempt.

Zack moved in front of Tifa shielding her from their attacker but she moved quickly in front of him instead, pulling on her gloves. The boy stopped about 2 feet from the couple with an expression of hurt and anger.

"How-could-you?" he whispered gasping for air.

"I'm not falling for your lies anymore, Kadaj." Tifa said with her own anger. "You lied to me, you cheated on me, and then YOU left ME!"

Kadaj moved to what it seems as to strike her, but whether that was what it was or not no one could say because before he had the chance he took a blow to the face from Zack and was knocked out cold. Tifa stood in silence for a full minute staring at Kadaj's unconscious body before Zack took her by the shoulders and walked her back to her dorm. When they reached her door he turned to leave.

"Thank you." A soft voice said behind him. He turned back and saw her smiling at him; he smiled too just because he couldn't help himself. He walked to her and she fell into his arms; he kissed her again and said, "Good night."

"Good night." She said back returning the mischievous smile he wore. She opened the door and walked in smiling as she closed it.

"So, what happened tonight?" Rinoa asked looking up from the video game she was playing.

"Nothing much." Tifa replied knowing the hell she'd catch in the morning when she told Rin what had gone on. "Nothing much at all." She laughed and went to bed smiling.


End file.
